Looking to 2010

I am really looking forward to 2010 and the New Year! 2009 was a great year and we had a great deal of new and wonderful experiences! One of the true joys for me, is performing at the renaissance faires. Most of my very best friends in the world, are ren faire people. I love being a part of that kind of “family”, where no matter how much time goes by, no matter the miles between, you just pick right back up where you left off.

2009 brought us to festivals in Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Ohio and Pennsylvania. It is always great to see old friends again. The most important thing that happened in 2009 was the creation of a brand new show. Produced for the renaissance festival market, as well as for theatres and schools, “Shattered Shakespeare” promises to be a wonderful new addition to the many unique productions that Vincent Magic Productions has to offer. From the day that I began to think about the show, through the writing process and the rehearsals, to the first few performances, I have been having a grand time! Sure it is alot of work. But, I have not had this much fun performing in a very long time. We have come up with some very funny material. The first piece, “Romeo & Juliet”, just seemed to be the place to start…a show that most people will know, or at least, have heard of. That was the key to all of this…being able to do a show that people will understand…even if they have never read the play. Being able to present material which can be very “dry” to most lay audiences, in a funny and entertaining way. I have to take the opportunity to thank my dear Jenny for all of her support and help in the writing process. Jenny has a great sense of humor and the ability to “think” funny! She has been a great addition to the work, as well as to my life. John is wonderful to work with. He is my friend and my brother and I can’t imagine doing this kind of work with anyone else. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to do what I love…and get paid to do it! We are currently working on getting the show booked and out there.

We are working on a second piece for “Shattered Shakespeare” for the 2010 season. “Green Eggs & Hamlet” promises to be a tremendous piece for us to perform. Jenny is writing the text for the show and I will be writing all of the comedy and modern parts of the show. It is already a very funny read, with lots of potential.

I am also grateful to Richard Brentar, the other half of our “Porter & Stout” show. We have been performing together now for 9 years, with both “Porter & Stout” and “The Dickens’ Carolers”. Although the show is not where I would like it to be, we have still done some really wonderful music, including five CD’s in the last four years! Not a bad thing! I look forward to the future and am anxious to see where the winds will take us.

Also in the works for 2010 is a total revamp of the school assembly show. “The Magic Factory” will be getting a complete face-lift. It will become a two-person show, featuring clown characters. The show will be a combination of magic, comedy, music, clowning and story-telling, with lots of audience participation. Several new pieces will be added to the show and I am excited to be working on the new material.

2009 has been a year of transition and change…some bad and some good. I am encouraged by the possibilities and will continue to push myself into the New Year with commitment and focus.

To those that are closest to me, who inspire me and support me in all that I do…(Jenny, Andrea, John, Stephanie, Sarah, Cassie, Aaron)…I say thank you and I love you. To those that I have hurt, I am sorry. To all, I wish you a safe, happy and healthy New Year that is filled with peace, joy, love and happiness.